Beginnings
by Spcebaby
Summary: Something has been bothering James Potter for the last week... How will he tell his pregnant wife that their unborn son is marked for death? The tale of the first war and one family's fight to stay alive. OotP and possible HBP spoilers. chapter 3 up!
1. Chapter One

**A/N:** Okay, this may or may not be a one-shot... I haven't decided yet. Please let me know what you think and please feel free to give me any critcism or ideas for this "story". Thanks! xoxo

Disclaimer: This is an original story, but the characters and the Harry Potter Universe are owned by JK Rowling...

-**BEGINNINGS-**

**-Chapter One-**

Lily Potter woke one Sunday morning to the sun shining on her face. Seven months pregnant, she was hot from the summer air (and the lack of a fan) and she was sore from sleeping on her back for so many months. Carefully, she rolled out of bed and slipped her swollen feet into the slippers near her night table then pushed herself up and off the bed. She debated for a few moments on whether or not to take a shower, but decided against it once she smelled bacon cooking from downstairs. She smiled and thought, _"James."_

James Potter had been awake for almost 3 hours on this Sunday morning; he woke up early and could not go back to sleep. He did not want to wake Lily nor worry her about why we could not sleep, so he quietly crept downstairs, made some coffee and examined the Daily Prophet. It was all news he and the entire wizarding world was used to by now: more muggle killings, important wizard disappearances, sporadic sightings of Voldemort, hysterical readers reporting that Voldemort was after them. James tried his best to laugh off the difficult times he and many others had experienced these past few years, but now that Lily was only 2 months from giving birth, he began to worry about the world they were bringing this child into.

After a couple of hours soul-searching and daydreaming, James decided to make some breakfast for his wife, who would no doubt be hungry as soon as she woke up. And if there was one thing James had learned about being married to a pregnant woman, it was to provide food as much and as soon as possible. He spotted Lily on the stairs just a short while later, rushed to her side and handed her a cup of decaffeinated coffee.

"I've never understood the point of decaf," said Lily. "I always thought waking up was the point of drinking coffee."

"Well, you know you can't have caffeine while you're pregnant," James responded.

"I know; it's just something I've always wondered about."

Lily took a seat at the breakfast table next to James; she could sense something was on his mind. He had been distant over the last few weeks; he was not sleeping, he was calling into work more and more, and his sense of humor that she fell in love with was beginning to dwindle. She never brought it up because she didn't want to upset him, but her intuition told her that she should not stay quiet for long.

_"Maybe I should talk to Dumbledore,"_ she thought. _"Or perhaps I should get it over with and confront James."_

"Something on your mind, love?" James asked his wife.

She was startled by his inquiry after being so lost in her thoughts. "No, James," she lied, "Just a little sore from the bed. Aren't you going into work today?"

"Well, I wanted to talk to you about something, so I took the day off," James answered quietly.

Lily raised her eyebrows. "Is this the reason you haven't been sleeping in the past week?"

James nodded and looked helplessly up at his wife. "I'm sorry, Lily, I was trying not to wake you, but I have had this on my mind since I found out, and it's finally starting to actually sink in."

"James, what are you talking about?" Lily demanded. "Why haven't you spoken of this before?"

"Because I didn't know how to tell you! I've been beating myself to a bloody pulp trying to tell you!" James explained.

"Alright, James, alright," Lily said softly, reaching out for his hand. She smiled. "You never were very good at handling stress. I've never seen such a brave man put so much trouble onto his shoulders. The world isn't yours to save, James!"

"Actually, Lily, that's what I wanted to talk to you about," James whispered, slowly lifting his head and looking his wife in the face.

Lily drew back from her husband slightly, as if puzzled but bracing herself for more shocking news. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"I had… a dream. It was of a young boy with green eyes fighting a duel. He was about 11 years old, and he was fighting Voldemort… Lily, he looked just like me, and he had your eyes… I think it was our son," James said. "Anyway, I spoke with Dumbledore alone at the Order's last meeting, and Dumbledore reassured me that it must have only been a dream; he said he had no reason to believe that our child has anything to do with Voldemort."

"So, what's the…"

"Dumbledore summoned me at the beginning of last week to Headquarters," James continued. "He said he was interviewing a woman for the position of divination teacher at the Hog's Head. He told me that the woman appeared to be an old fraud, or in his words, 'disappointing', and so he bid her goodnight and turned to leave. Then she had a sort of seizure and made an actual prophecy right in front of him."

"What about?" Lily inquired anxiously.

James hesitated, then sighed as he stood up and headed for a cabinet in the living room. He opened the cabinet and pulled out a silver bowl with ruins carved in.

"Dumbledore's pensive? James, what…?" Lily asked, perplexed.

"You need to see this for yourself, Lily," James answered. He pulled out his wand and tapped the surface of the floating, silver mist hovering in the bowl.

A woman Lily had never seen before, draped in shawls and adorning large glasses that magnified her eyes, rose revolving out of the bowl and spoke in a harsh tone:

"_The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches… Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies… and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not… and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives… The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies…"_

Lily stared at the slowly revolving figure sinking back into the pensive for a moment, then stood up on shaky legs, ran to the sink, and vomited. James rushed to her side. "I'm sorry, Lily," he said. "I should have told you sooner…"

"James, what are we going to do? I mean, _we've_ defied Voldemort three times, and our child is due in two more months… That's the seventh month!" Lily was becoming hysterical. "But we can't just leave, can we? Tell me Voldemort doesn't know about the prophecy, James! Give me some sort of good news; I mean, if he knows, where could we possibly hide…?"

James looked helplessly up at his wife, and she knew the answer before he spoke it. "He had a spy following Dumbledore, and the spy apparently heard the first part of the prophecy, up to the point where she said, _the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal_. Members of the Order guarding Dumbledore luckily spotted him and threw him from the building before he could take down the rest."

Lily, looking down at her defeated and terrified husband, forced herself into a state of calm that James could always depend on. She regained her composure and knew she had to be strong. "We've stood against Voldemort before, James," Lily said optimistically. "I say we stand and fight."

"It's not that simple, Lil," James explained. "Now he will be actively looking for us. Dumbledore figures it will take Voldemort a while to figure out how many wizarding families are about to have a child, so that leaves us some time to hide."

"My god, James," Lily suddenly interrupted. "What if it's Alice?"

"Pardon?"

"Alice Longbottom, James," Lily explained. "She's due in July also."

"I know," James said, hanging his head. "The Longbottoms have been informed also, and plans to send them into hiding are beginning as well. Dumbledore said we may, at some point, have to perform the Fidelous Charm; he offered to be Secret-Keeper, but I told him I'd have to talk with you. But Lil, we have to pack and get over to Headquarters as soon as we can."

Lily wiped her mouth with a napkin and straightened her back. She looked up at her husband and said, "I'm scared, James."

He pulled her close and rested his head on hers. "I know, I am too, Lil. I would never let anything to happen to you or the baby. I'd give my life for both of you."


	2. Chapter Two

A/N: Well, I guess this won't be a one-shot after all! Since I have a horrid case of writer's block for my other story, I decided to give this one a try, and I have to say I'm enjoying writing this one. So, I hope you all enjoy it as well. Don't forget to review! xoxo

**-Chapter Two-**

"No, Sirius, just listen to me! I need you to do this! You're the only one I trust!"

James paced back and forth at the Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix, occasionally pausing to stare nervously out a nearby window. James' best friend, Sirius Black, was sitting on a couch with one leg over the other, watching James pace as he smoked a large cigar. Sirius' long black hair was as untamed as James' was, and even though it was unkempt, his five o'clock shadow combined his rugged appearance with handsome charm.

Sirius puffed on his cigar once more, brushed a few strands of hair out of his face, and said, "James, you need to relax, and you need to stop talking like you're not going to survive this war. You don't need to choose a…"

"Look, Sirius, you're refusing to accept reality," James insisted. "I won't be able to contact you much once Lily and I go into hiding, and I need to make sure my son will be taken care of if we don't make it."

"You're taking this prophecy _way_ to serious…"

"And you're not taking it seriously enough!" James was now inches from his friend's face, yelling at the top of his lungs. "This isn't some stupid game! My unborn son is marked for death, Sirius, and you're making jokes!"

James was breathing hard and his cheeks seemed to glow red with fury. Still frowning and his eyes never leaving Sirius, he straightened up and pushed his glasses up on his nose.

Sirius scowled for the first time during this conversation. The lines on his young face made him look weathered and aged. He snuffed out his cigar, looked at James and said, "I really don't appreciate you yelling in my face, James. I am very aware of the danger facing you and your family. All I'm trying to say is that you're acting as if you know for sure that you and Lily are going to die! We don't know that yet, and it sounds like you're giving up already! This isn't the time for rash actions, James!"

"I hardly think asking you to be my son's godfather is a rash action!" James responded. "It's time for you to grow up and take responsibility for something! You're not the boy you were at Hogwarts anymore, Sirius. I'm trying to make you a part of my family, to make you feel like you _have_ a family, so stop shutting me out!"

Sirius stood up so quickly it made James step back from the couch. Although he knew Sirius would never attack him, James felt dwarfed next to his friend's tall and muscular frame.

"I'm well aware of your perfect family life, James," Sirius said, pointing a finger at his friend. "Growing up without one has forced me to take responsibility for all of my actions. I am and always have been perfectly fine with doing things on my own."

"Is this about Lily?" James asked, raising one eyebrow and eying Sirius as if calculating his response.

"Oh, for God's sake, James." Sirius responded simply. "I thought we were passed this."

"Are we?" James asked. Without waiting for a response he continued, "Look, this means just as much to her as it does to me. You are the only one I trust with my life and the life of my family, and you are the only one _she_ trusts. I can't ask anyone else to do this, Sirius, please!"

Sirius took a deep breath and sat back down on the sofa. He turned heavy eyes up to James and asked, "There isn't going to be a big ceremony or anything, is there?"

James shook his head. "No, no, just something small. Peter and Dumbledore have agreed to come as witnesses. Very low key."

Sirius contemplated this and sighed deeply. "Alright, James," he said finally, nodding slowly.

James smiled at his friend, and Sirius could see the gratefulness shining out of James' eyes behind his glasses.

"We've set it up for about a month after the baby is born," James explained.

"Yeah, ok," Sirius grunted. "But this kid of yours better be good looking." The slightest hint of a playful grin appeared on Sirius' face.

"With a godfather like you, how could he not be?" James said with a smile.

Sirius smiled back. "I don't know, but if he's got your eyesight, he's beyond all hope."

**XxxxxxXxxxxxX**

The meeting at headquarters did not go well. Six members had been killed since the last meeting, including the Prewett brothers, and rumors were spreading of a spy in their midst.

"We're outnumbered, Albus," claimed Dorcas Meadows. "He knows we're trying to track him, and he keeps getting the jump on us! Giants are roaming freely across Europe and we just can't contend with the number of Dementors he…"

Dumbledore held a hand up to quiet the murmurs of assent in the room.

James sat quietly in a back corner of the meeting room with Sirius. Neither spoke or participated in the meeting, but both seemed to notice something odd; their old school friend, Remus Lupin, kept glancing at them every so often with a curious look. James and Sirius exchanged significant looks with each other and eventually Dumbledore, who apparently had noticed this as well.

"What the hell does he keep looking at?" whispered Sirius, nodding his head slightly in Lupin's direction.

"I don't know; maybe it's just because we haven't seen him in a while," James murmured back.

"Well, it's pissing me off," Sirius interjected quietly. "He left… what? Five months ago? It was his choice; he didn't contact anyone from the Order when he left, and now he expects me to trust him?"

"Come on, Sirius," James protested. "He's been our friend for almost ten years now; how could you just not trust him?"

"I don't know, but something wasn't right about the way he left," whispered Sirius as Dumbledore ended the meeting.

As they continued to wonder about Remus Lupin, neither James nor Sirius noticed Peter Pettigrew glare at them darkly from across the room.

A/N: Please review! thanks! xoxo


	3. Chapter Three

**--Chapter Three--**

Lily lay awake two months later in a hospital bed at St. Mungo's with Harry in her arms. She looked down at her sleeping child and even though he joy was immeasurable, she could not sleep with the thought that the most evil wizard in the world would be looking to kill the baby in her arms. Turning her head, she glanced over at her sleeping husband.

She and James had relocated to Godric's Hollow, which was a safer location than their previous neighborhood, but Dumbledore seemed to feel there was no immediate concern because Voldemort was still searching for the last part of the prophecy. But she couldn't shake the gut feeling that she was not safe. Spies were being discovered everywhere, inside the ministry itself even, and Lily did not trust anyone who knew of their location. She knew St. Mungo's was not exactly secure, and she demanded an extra guard outside her room despite the fact that James refused to leave her side.

She glanced over at her sleeping husband, his glasses askew as he rested his head in his hands, then looked back at Harry. Lily could see the resemblance already; she reached for James' glasses, gently pulled them off his face and placed them on Harry's tiny nose. She smiled and laughed aloud; the glasses were so big that both eyes fit through one frame. She placed the glasses on her bedside table, then leaned her head back and closed her eyes. She held the sleeping Harry close and could sense James' presence. Lily fell asleep, comforted in the love she had for the two men asleep in her room.

---------------------------------------------------

_Lily, take Harry and go! It's him! Go! Run! I'll hold him off..."_

---------------------------------------------------

James woke with a start after dreams of green flashes and screams in the night. He inhaled sharply, jerking his head away from a small puddle of drool by where his head was, and glanced up at his sleeping wife and his newborn child in her arms. He smiled as he stood and kissed his wife and son on their foreheads, then he stretched, put on his glasses and left the room.

Predictably, Sirius was sitting outside Lily's room, reading the _Daily Prophet_ with his wand in his lap. He jumped when James snapped the door shut, grasping his wand and scrambling to his feet.

"Relax, Sirius," James said, removing his glasses and sleepily rubbing his eyes. He did not respond to Sirius' reaction.

"Sorry, Padfoot," sighed Sirius, placing his wand in his pocket. "I guess I'm a little jumpy. Didn't realize how little sleep I've had until I started to doze off a little bit ago."

"S'okay," James yawned, stretching again and replacing his glasses on his nose.

"How's the family?" asked Sirius, jerking his head in the direction of Lily's room.

"Asleep," answered James. "I don't think Lily's been asleep for long, though. She's been so worried since the birth I wouldn't be surprised if she wakes up soon from a nightmare."

Sirius raised an eyebrow as he looked at his friend. "It doesn't look like you're doing much better," he said. "Still having the dream?"

James hesitated. He stared at the floor not really seeing it; his mind was transfixed on his recurring dream of Voldemort bursting into their home in Godric's Hollow and demanding they give him their son. Every night was the same; James would yell at Lily to run then draw his wand and begin to duel with Lord Voldemort, but it was always in vain. But before Voldemort's curse could hit him, he would wake in a cold sweat and breathing hard.

"Still with me, James?" asked Sirius.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, sorry." James pulled his thoughts away from his dream with difficulty and said, "I'm just tired, that's all."

"Obviously. I guess my original question's been answered then," Sirius replied. "How long have you been having this dream, James?"

"Just a few weeks," answered James. "It was really sporadic at first, but I've dreamt it every night for the last several days." James sat down on the chair previously occupied by Sirius and asked, "Do you think I should tell Dumbledore?"

Sirius shrugged dismissively. "If you feel you should."

James smiled to himself. Lately it had become brutally obvious that Sirius did not believe in fate, premonitions or prophecies, and every time James mentioned something of that sort, Sirius opted to simply shrug rather than argue.

Sirius took the seat next to James and glanced over at his friend, who now how his head in his hands. He clapped James on the back and said in his playful bark-like voice, "So! How does it feel to be a parent? Is your boy going to call you 'dad' or 'Prongs'?"

"That depends," James answered, smirking at Sirius as he lifted his head. "Would you rather he call _you_ Uncle Sirius or Uncle Padfoot? Oh, wait, what did Laurel McTaggert call you in sixth year? She called you 'my Snuffles', right? That's it! Harry can call you Uncle Snuffles."

Sirius howled with laughter. "I don't think the _Uncle_ is necessary, but I'll let him choose when he gets old enough." He leaned back on his chair and folded his hands behind his head, then shifted his eyes to look at James and cleared his throat. "Laurel totally wanted me."

James snorted. "So did every other girl at Hogwarts."

"I wonder what ever happened to her," Sirius pondered, perfectly aware that James was rolling his eyes at his conceit.

"She's dead."

James and Sirius both looked up to see Remus Lupin standing above them.

"What?" Sirius asked irritably.

"Laurel McTaggert. She's dead," Lupin clarified with an emotionless face. "She was killed by Rudolfus Lestrange last year."

"Well, thanks for that bit of information, Remus, but what the hell are you doing here?" Sirius asked angrily, standing up and rounding on Lupin.

James stood up as well and put his hand on Sirius' shoulder. "Take it easy, mate," he said. Sirius retreated to his seat and pouted. "What _are_ you doing here, Remus?" James asked.

"I… couldn't sleep, and I came to see how Lily and the baby were doing," Lupin answered quietly.

"You shouldn't have bothered," Sirius snarled.

Lupin looked up sadly, his eyes meeting James. "Look, I just wanted to say that I want to do whatever it takes to keep you, Lily and the baby safe."

James hesitated. "His name is Harry."

A ghost of a smile crossed Lupin's face, but Sirius looked infuriated. He fired up at once and exploded out of his chair.

"What in bloody hell is this all about, Remus?" Sirius demanded. "How do you expect us to trust you? How do you expect _Lily_ to trust you!"

Lupin simply stared at Sirius, looking as gloomy as ever. "You don't understand, Sirius. I had to leave," he explained quietly.

"Oh, you _had_ to leave!" Sirius yelled sarcastically. "Well, _that_ makes everything better!"

"Sirius, keep your voice down!" James hissed, glancing up and down the hallway. "Remus, what are you talking about? What do you mean you had to leave?"

"I couldn't stay after what happened," Lupin answered.

"Is that what this is about?" James asked. "That was an accident. Lily knows it was…"

"You don't actually _believe_ that do you, James?" Sirius interrupted incredulously. "I _know _Lily doesn't…"

"What the hell would you know about what Lily thinks?" James asked hotly. Sirius fell silent at once.

"I'm not here to cause any trouble, Sirius," Lupin explained, his wide eyes looking at Sirius for the first time. "I'm here because I have heard some rumors, about Lily and Alice."

"What have you heard?" James asked, holding a hand up to prevent Sirius from interrupting.

"That they are marked for death," answered Lupin, his expression unreadable.

"Not them, Remus," James clarified, shaking his head. "The boys. Alice gave birth yesterday; she's in a guarded room at the other end of the hospital."

"Look, James, I really want to help," Lupin said. "I know it's a lot to ask, but I want you to know that I am willing to help protect Lily. I can even watch her here, if you need to go somewhere while she's here."

James looked passed Lupin to see Sirius rolling his eyes behind Lupin's back. "That's not necessary, Remus. We have all the help we need right now, but I will definitely let you know if I need something. But you need to get yourself out of this gloomy, I'm-feeling-sorry-for-myself mood. We're glad you're back."

"Thanks," Lupin replied, the first real smile crossing his face. "I'm going to go get something to eat. Do you want anything?"

"No; Sirius, are you hungry?" James asked, looking at his friend forcefully.

Sirius ignored him.

Lupin smiled awkwardly, then turned and headed down the hallway to find the cafeteria.

"You have no right to…" Sirius began as soon as Lupin was out of earshot.

"Don't," James interrupted. "I can't deal with this tonight, Sirius. My wife and son need me." With that, he turned and walked back into his wife's room, leaving Sirius in the hall, alone once again.


End file.
